Wrapper registration control



April 4, 1961 R. L. ARDNER 2,977,730

WRAPPER REGISTRATION CONTROL Filed Aug. 11, 1958 30 FE 52 54 W IN V EN TOR.

5 233262? Zdfdzzer WRAPPER REGISTRATION CONTROL Robert L. Ardner, Anderson, Ind., assignor to Lynch Corporation, Anderson, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Aug. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 754,425

5 Claims. (Cl. 5351) This invention relates to wrapper registration control and particularly to a means to automatically secure proper registration of a wrapper or similar strip of materialbeing supplied to a wrapping machine or the like that includes means to cut a continuous strip of the material into individual wrappers.

One object of the invention is to provide a registration control mechanism thatautomatically operates in both directions, that is, retards the drive of the wrapper when it is going too fast and advances it when it is going .trade marks, designs and the like (candy bar wrappers for example) and it is desirable that each individual wrapper. have a complete imprint, and one that is properly placed with respect to the ends of the wrapper.

Still anotherobject is to provide a pair of electric eyes which sense an elongated registration means on a wrapper, one eye being located ahead of the other with respect to the direction of travel of the wrapper, and a synchronizing switch so related in an electric circuit with the electriceyes that the desired actuation of the variable speed drive is automatically had.

A further object is to provide the two electric eyes operating a pair of relays or the like which in turn opearte solenoids that adjust the variable speed drive. slow or fast depending on which relay 'is energized, no adjustment being made if the wrapper speed feed is substantially correct.

Still a furtherobject is to provide two electric eyes to sense an elongated registration means on wrapping material and cooperating with a synchronizing switch in such manner as to actuate one or the other of the solenoids only when the registration means is sensed by only- V of a wrapping machine or the like.

7, 2,977,730 Patented Apr. 4, 1961 On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference' numeral 19 to indicate a wrapping machine side frame supported on suitable legs, one of which is shown at 21, and 23 to indicate a cross member of the machine. The reference numerals 10 and 12 indicate light sources such as electric bulbs which are supplied with current from the line wires 14 and 16. W indicates a continuous wrapper being fed from a roll 13 of wrapping material and past the light sources 10 and 12 in the direction of the arrow 15. The wrapper has elongated registration means 17 (for instance, one elongated area 17 for each individual wrapper W to be cut from the continuous strip of wrapping material). These areas or eye spots may be opaque whereas the wrapper W is transparent or semi-transparent so that the opaque areas 17 shut off the light beams from 10 and 12 projected to electric eyes indicated RE (retarding eye) and AE (advancing eye).

The eyes RE and AE are shown connected by wires 18 and 20 respectively to an amplifier A reeciving current from a rectifier R which in turn receives current from the wires 14 and 16. Wires 22 connect the rectifier to the amplifier A and the amplifier may comprise sensi-' A switch 283il32 is interposed between wires 24 and 26 in circuit with the electric eyes so as to periodically energize the eye circuits in synchronism with cycling The element 28 is v a leaf spring, while the elements 30 and 32 are current per registration control at a stage of cycling when the U interrupting contacts normally disengaged, but in the position of Fig. 1 they are engaged by reason of a machine-synchronized switch actuating cam- 34 having a lobe 36 to close the switch 283032 each cycle of operation of the wrapping machine wherein the wrapping mechanism (not shown) is driven as by a chain 40. I

also illustrate an arbor 38 carrying a cut-off blade '42 to cooperate with astationary cut-oil blade 44 to cut the strip of wrapping material W into individual wrappers W. The arbor 38 is likewise synchronized to the cycling of the wrapping machine by being driven by the chain 40. The cutoff edges of the blades 42 and 44 coact with each other during each rotation of the arbor 38 in the manner shown in Sandberg Patent No. 2,356,- 537. The individual wrappers W are shown as carried into the wrapping mechanism of the machine by a belt on a roller 82. The wrapper cut-off mechanism just described is merely illustrative of one use for my wrapper registration mechanism.

For driving the wrapping material W, drive rolls 54 and 58 are provided and these are independently driven with respect to the chain 46 through a sprocket 69, a chain 62 and a sprocket 64. The sprocket 64 is on the output end of a variable speed drive 66 which may be driven as by a chain 46 from a shaft 48 of a reducing gear 56. 'A motor 56 drives the reducing gear 50 by a belt 52 and thereby the chain 40 and the wrapping machine. Since the .drive 66 is variable, the speed of the feed rollers 54 and 58 may be adjusted relative to the cycling of the wrapping machine.

Any suitable type of variable speed drive 66 may be provided (preferably one which is infinitely variable) such as one having cone shaped friction rollers or the like as shown in my copending application, Serial No. 754,416, filed August 11, 1958. The drive 66 is adjusted by rotation of a shaft 68 and hand crank '70. After the wrapper has been manually adjusted to approximately the proper speed, it may be automatically kept in adjustment by the-registration control herein disclosed as will now be described in greater detail.

On the shaft 68 a ratchet wheel 72 is provided within a housing 76 (Fig 1). A retard solenoid RS and an advance solenoid AS are mounted in the housing 76 and have cores 74 and 74:: respectively terminating in actuating pawls 78 and 78a which are normally out of contact with the ratchet wheel 72 so that manual rotation of the crank 70 is possible without interference by the actuating pawls.

The solenoid RS is energized from the line wires 14 and 16 by relay contacts 86 and 88, and the solenoid AS is likewise energized by contacts 86a and 88a. These contacts are normally open, and are closed by energization of the relay coils 34 and 84:: respectively which in turn are under control of the electric eyes RE and AE respectively through the amplifier A.

Practical operation As long as a registration area 17 is between the light source and the electric eye AE, and between the light source 12 and the electric eye RE when the synchronizing switch contacts 30 and 32 are closed as shown in Fig. 1, neither relay 84 nor 84a will be pulsed. Assume, however, that the wrapping material W is running too fast. The registration area 17 will be ahead of its desired position as shown in Fig. 2 and the light beam from the light source 12 will strike the retard eye RE so that it will energize the relay coil 84 as shown in Fig. 2 at the time the cam lobe 36 closes the contacts 30 and 32, thus energizing the retard solenoid RS. This results in the core 74 moving into the solenoid and propelling the actuating pawl 78 as to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus advancing the ratchet wheel 72 one tooth in the slow (indicated S on the ratchet wheel) direction.

In case this adjustment causes the registration areas 17 to gradually work back to a retarded position (the reverse of Fig, 2), when one of these areas is sufiiciently retarded, the light beam from the light source 10 will strike the advance eye AE thus energizing the solenoid AS to move the ratchet wheel 72 in the reverse direction (F for fast). Thus the wrapper is automatically held in registration adjustment whether the registration areas 17 advance or retard due to the variable speed drive 66 being out of exact adjustment.

At times of course, the registration may continue perfect for some period of time but any time that either electric eye senses a beam from its respective light source, a readjustment is automatically accomplished. During a cycle of operation the relays energize or fail to energize the solenoids which control through the variable speed drive and thereby the length of individual wrappers. The drive is first rough-adjusted manually to the wrapper length and then the electric eyes and synchronizing switch take over and automatically correct any out-of-registry condition which is either too slow or too fast.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my wrapper registration control without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and its is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a registration control mechanism for a wrapper or the like having registration areas spaced therealong, a pair of registration area sensing means displaced from each other in the direction of travel of the wrapper for simultaneously sensing two different points of one of said registration areas, means cyclically operable in relation to a wrapping machine or the like for providing energization for said pair of sensing means, a variable speed drive for said wrapper, an adjusting shaft for said variable speed drive, adjustable by rotation in one direction to speed up the wrapper and in the other direction to slow down the wrapper, a solenoid for rotating said shaft in one direction, a second solenoid for rotating said shaft in the opposite direction, one of said solenoids being actuated by one of "said pair of sensing means when said registration area lags behind a desired position in relation to the cycling of said wrapping machine,

and the other of said solenoids being actuated by the other of said pair of sensing means when said registration area is ahead of said desired position.

2. Registration control mechanism for wrapping material having periodically spaced registration areas, a pair of registration area sensing means displaced from each other in the direction of travel of said wrapping material for simultaneously sensing two different points of one of said registration areas, means cyclically operable in relation to a wrapping machine or the like for cutting said wrapping material into individual wrappers and providing energization for said pair of sensing means, an adjustable variable speed drive for said wrapping material, a shaft for adjusting said variable speed drive, two means for rotating said shaft in opposite directions, one of said means being actuated for rotating said shaft in one direction for speed-up adjustment thereof by one of said pair of sensing means when said registration area lags behind a desired position in relation to the cycling of said wrapping machine, and the other of said means being actuated for rotating said shaft in the opposite direction for slow-down adjustment thereof by the other of said pair of sensing means when said same registration area is ahead of said desired position.

3. Registration control mechanism for wrapping material having periodic registration areas elongated in the direction of travel of the wrapper, a pair of light sources, a pair of electric eyes opposite said pair of light sources and responsive thereto, said light sources and eyes being displaced from each other in said direction and both operable on different points of the same registration areas, means cyclically operable in relation to a wrapping machine or the like for providing energization for said pair of electric eyes, a variable speed drive for said wrapping material having an adjusting shaft rotatable in one direction for speeding up, and in the other direction for slowing down the wrapping material, electrically operable means for rotating said shaft in one direction when the means is energized, a second electrically operable means for rotating said shaft in the other direction when the second means is energized, said first means being actuated for speed-up of said wrapping material by one of said electric eyes when said registration area lags behind a desired position in relation to the cycling of said wrapping machine, and said second means being actuated for slow-down of said wrapping material by the other of said electric eyes when said registration area is ahead of said desired position,

4. In a registration control mechanism for a Wrapper or the like having registration areas elongated in the direction of travel of the wrapper, a pair of light sources, advance and retard electric eyes opposite said pair of light sources and responsive thereto, said sources and eyes being displaced from each other in said direction of travel and simultaneously operable at all times from different points of the same registration areas, means cyclically operable in relation to a wrapping machine or the like for providing energization for said pair of electric eyes, a variable speed drive for said wrapper having an. adjusting shaft rotatable in one direction for speeding up, and in the other direction for slowing down the wrapper, electrically operable means for rotating said shaft in one direction when the means is energized, a

' second electrically operable means for rotating said shaft in the other direction when the second means is energized, said first means being actuated for speed-up of the wrapper by said advance electric eye when said registration area lags behind a desired position in relation to' the cycling of said wrapping machine, and said second means being actuated for slow-down of the wrapper by said retard electric eye when said registration area is ahead of said desired position.

5. In a registration control mechanism for a wrapper or the like having registration areas elongated in the direction of travel of the wrapper, a pair of light sources, advance and retard electric eyes opposite said pair of light sources and responsive thereto, said sources and eyes being displaced from each other in said direction of travel but both eyes being responsive to light from its respective light source and afiected by two different points of the'same registrationarea, means cyclicallyoperable in relation to a wrapping machine or the like for providing energization for said pair of electric eyes, a variable speed drive for said wrapper having an adjusting shaft rotatable in one direction for speeding up, and in the other direction for slowing down the wrapper, electrically operable means for rotating said shaft in one direction when the means is energized, a second electrically operable means for rotating said shaft in the other direction when the second means is energized, said first means being actuated for speed-up of said wrapper by said advance electric eye when said registration area lags behind a desired position in relation to the cycling of said wrapping machine, and said second means being actuated for slow-down of said wrapper by said retard electric eye when said registration area is ahead of said desired position, and manual means for actuating said adjusting mechanism preliminarily independent of the electric eye actuation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cloud Mar. 20, 1951 

